BSC5P - Bright Star Catalog

Overview

The BSC5P database table contains data derived from the Bright Star Catalog, 5th Edition, preliminary, which is widely used as a source of basic astronomical and astrophysical data for stars brighter than magnitude 6.5. The database contains the identifications of included stars in several other widely-used catalogs, double- and multiple-star identifications, indication of variability and variable-star identifiers, equatorial positions for B1900.0 and J2000.0, galactic coordinates, UBVRI photoelectric photometric data when they exist, spectral types on the Morgan-Keenan (MK) classification system, proper motions (J2000.0), parallax, radial- and rotational-velocity data, and multiple-star information (number of components, separation, and magnitude differences) for known non-single stars.

Catalog Bibcode

References

Hoffleit, D. and Warren, Jr., W.H., 1991, "The Bright Star Catalog, 5th Revised Edition (Preliminary Version)".

Provenance

This table was created by the HEASARC in 1995 based upon a file obtained from either the ADC or the CDS. A number of revisions have been made by the HEASARC to this original version, e.g., celestial positions were added for the 14 non-stellar objects which have received HR numbers: HR 92, 95, 182, 1057, 1841, 2472, 2496, 3515, 3671, 6309, 6515, 7189, 7539 and 8296. In January 2014, the very incorrect position for HR 3671 = NGC 2808 was fixed (the Declination is -65 degrees not +65 degrees!), and smaller corrections were made to the positions of HR 2496, 3515 and 6515 so as to bring them in better agreement with the positions listed in SIMBAD and NED

Parameters

ADS
If the star is in Aitken's Double Star Catalog (ADS), this parameter is the designation in that catalog.

ADS_Comp
The letter identification in the ADS.

Alt_Name
The alternative name for stars in the Bright Star Catalog. For those stars which have this information, this is usually the Flamsteed and/or Bayer constellation-based name for the star, e.g., 54Alp Peg, where 54 is the Flamsteed number and Alp (for Alpha) is the Bayer Greek letter.

BII
The galactic longitude of the object.

BV_Color
The B-V magnitude and colors on the UBV system.

BV_Uncert
If the magnitude or colors are uncertain, this is set to ':'; if the value is questionable, the uncertainty flag is set to '?'.

CDec
The Declination of the object, in sexagesimal format.

CDec_1950
Declination, Sexagesimal in 1950 coordinates

Class
Browse classification type. The classification is based on the 'Spect_Type' parameter, if one is available.

CRA
The Right Ascension of the object, in sexagesimal format.

CRA_1950
The Right Ascension of the object, in sexagesimal format and B1950 coordinates.

Dec
The Declination of the object.

Dec_1900
The Declination of the object, in B1900 coordinates.

Dec_1950
The Declination of the object, in B1950 coordinates

DM_Cat
The Durchmeusterung catalog ID.

DM_Num
The Durchmeusterung number.

FK5
This is the number of the object in the Fifth Fundamental Catalogue, if the star is included there.

GLat
The original galactic latitude coordinates from the original catalog.

GLon
The original galactic longitude coordinates from the original catalog.

HD
This is the Henry Draper Catalogue number.

HR
This is the Harvard Revised BS Catalogue number.

IR_Flag
This is the infrared source flag. This parameter will have a value of 'I' if the star is a known infrared source.

LII
The galactic latitude of the object.

M_Cnt
The total number of components assigned to a multiple system.

M_ID
The identification of the components.

M_Mdiff
The magnitude difference between two components of a double, or between the two brightest components of a multiple system.

M_Sep
The separation of two components of a double, or between the two brightest components of a multiple system.

Multiple
'Multiple' is coded as follows when the star is a known double or multiple: 'W' = Worley (1978) update of the IDS, 'D' = Duplicity discovered by occultation, or 'S' = Duplicity discovered by speckle interferometry.

Name
The standard name for the star, using the HR prefix. Note that stars in this catalog are also sometimes referred to using the prefix 'BS'.

Note
An asterisk '*' indicates a note about the star can be found in the remarks.

Par_Code
This flag determines the type of parallax; a 'D' indicates that the parallax is dynamical. Otherwise, the parallax is trigonometric.

Parallax
This is the parallax, in seconds of arc. See the 'Par_Code' field to determine whether the parallax is dynamical or trigonometric.

PMDec
The annual Declination proper motion in seconds of arc for the equinox J2000.0 in the FK5 system.

PMRA
The annual Right Ascension proper motion in seconds of arc for the equinox J2000.0 in the FK5 system.

RA
The Right Ascension of the object.

RA_1900
The Right Ascension of the object, in B1900 coordinates.

RA_1950
The Right Ascension of the object, in B1950 coordinates

RadVel
The heliocentric radial velocity in km/s.

RadVel_Comm
Comments on the radial velocity as follows: 'V' or 'V?' = variable or suspected variable radial velocity; 'SB', 'SB1', or 'SB2' = spectroscopic binaries, single or double lined spectra; 'O' = orbital data available.

RI_Code
A star on the RI system.

RI_Color
This is the R-I color of the star on the RI system. These codes are as follows: blank for the Johnson system, 'E' for Kron system colors measured mainly by Eggen, and 'C' for Cape (Cousins) system colors. Code 'D' has not been documented. Uncertainty ':' or questionable '?' are also indicated in this field.

RotVel
Limiting character: '<' for "less than", '=<' for "less than or equal to", and '>' for "greater than."

RotVel_Comm
The projected rotational velocity (v sin i).

RotVel_Uncert
A colon ':' in indicates an uncertain rotational velocity.

SAO
This is the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog number, if the object is listed in that catalog.

Spect_Code
Spectral type code. The codes 'e', 'v', and 't' are not documented.

Spect_Type
Spectral type on the standard Morgan-Keenan system and code.

UB_Color
The U-B magnitude and colors on the UBV system.

UB_Uncert
If the U-B color is uncertain, this is set to ':'; if the value is questionable, the uncertainty flag is set to '?'.

Var_ID
This is the variable star designation from the General Catalogue of Variable Stars or one of its Supplements, or from the Catalogue of Suspected Variable Stars, or simply the designation 'var'.

Vmag
Photographic magnitude.

Vmag_Code
The photographic magnitude may also be reduced to the UBV system from the Harvard Revised Photometry of 1908 (Vmag code = 'R'), or it may also be the original HR magnitude (Vmag code = 'H').

Vmag_Uncert
If the magnitude is uncertain, this is set to ':'; if the values is questionable, the uncertainty flag is set to '?'.

Contact Person

Questions regarding the BSC5P database table can be addressed to the HEASARC Help Desk.

Page Author: Browse Software Development Team
Last Modified: Monday, 16-Sep-2024 17:25:10 EDT